Volunteers honored at VIP Recognition Breakfast

In the words of one volunteer, a person doesn’t volunteer to get recognized - but “it sure is nice.”

Those who give of their time to volunteer in the Robbinsdale Area Schools were honored at this year’s Volunteers in Partnership (VIP) Recognition Breakfast May 7 at New Hope Church. The medieval-themed event, which also celebrated VIP’s 40th anniversary, honored those who contribute thousands of hours of service each year and make a difference in a variety of programs. During the event, the names of 110 volunteers who have volunteered for five years or more were read aloud; nine of those have volunteered for 20 years or more.

VIP began in 1975 through the Community Education department. It is responsible for community volunteer management for the district (those age 16-plus who are not the parents of current students). Volunteers are placed in all RAS schools and Community Education programs, serving those from preschool through adult. Close to 1,500 VIP volunteers contributed nearly 33,000 service hours last year.

Joanne Clausen, a 20-year Community Education office volunteer, and Dorothy Jorenby, a vision-hearing test volunteer who started 35 years ago, said that becoming part of a volunteer community and staying connected once their own children were done with school were two of the benefits of volunteering with VIP.

”(Thanks to volunteering), it’s still our school district,” Jorenby said. “This VIP breakfast is always a special occasion, and while you don’t volunteer to get recognized, it sure is nice.”